Debbie Francis from Network Rail said: “Now the floodwater has gone our track workers and engineers are on the railway to assess the extent of the damage. There is an inch-thick thick layer of mud on much of our safety-critical equipment and eight electrical cabinets have been submerged in water for more than 24 hours which will require a huge amount of work to rebuild and bring back into use.

“We have hundreds of staff working round-the-clock to keep as much of the railway open as possible. This will continue so we can reopen the West Coast main line as quickly as we can.

“We care about getting passengers where they’re going safely, and I’d like to thank them for their patience during this difficult time. As soon as there is more detailed information, we will make sure they are fully informed.”